Tell Me No Lies
by TheBlackDove4
Summary: Sequel to Redemption. Shortly after the arrest of Lauren Mallory, Edward and Bella seem to be moving on. But when other guys begin to enter Bella's life, things start to get a little more complicated... and Edward becomes fit to be tied. BxE All-human
1. Bothered

It was Sunday night.

I spent the last day of spring break with Carly, Mike, Tyler Crowley, Alice Brandon, Emmett McCurdy, Angela, and Eric. Eleven o' clock was quickly approaching and Carly had a curfew. So we waited patiently as Angela took her last turn sending the bowling ball down the alley. We held our breaths and crossed our fingers as it continued to travel before nailing every single pin. We cheered for her strike and tallied up our points. I had come in third place, with Tyler and Eric ahead of me.

We crowded together, returned our bowling balls and shoes, and left the arcade in a cluster. Those of us with licenses waited around with those who didn't until their parents showed up. By eleven, it was just me, Carly, Tyler, and Mike. Mike hugged me goodbye and jogged out to his car and Tyler walked with me and Carly to my Mustang. He wasn't parked much further away from me.

I unlocked the car so that Carly could get in and I followed her, but I stopped abruptly when Tyler called my name from behind me. I turned around and the words were out of his mouth before I could even really process it.

"Will you go to Prom with me?"

I stood shocked, but I managed to answer through it. "Uh… yeah, sure."

He nodded nervously and turned back, but I was still partially in shock. Tyler Crowley was the cutest guy in our group, and I had never been asked to Prom before. After all, this was the only guy who gave me the 'okay' to go after Edward in previous months. I don't know what possessed me to say what I did next, but…

I turned back toward him urgently. "Wait a minute, are you serious or are you just screwing with me?"

Tyler looked surprised that I would even ask. "No, I mean it."

My face softened and I smiled. "Then yes, I will go to Prom with you." Then I hugged him, though it seemed to bring out his shyness.

Afterwards, I walked to the 'Stang and got in, flushing with joy. Carly gave me a look that said, "Oh, yes. I knew."

"I assume you said yes?" she asked, smirking at me.

"You know I did, Carly."

"Well, good. You need someone stable in your life at the moment. Speaking of which, are you mentally prepared for tomorrow?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, tomorrow's Monday. Spring break is over. And you have to see Edward fist thing in the morning. Are you prepared?"

I sighed. "Carly, everything is fine between me and Edward."

She scoffed. "You coulda fooled me. He hasn't talked to you in nearly a week. Why is that?"

"He sees that as just one more thing he can do to 'make up' for what happened with Lauren at the school last week. I had asked him to give me my time before that, so now he's honoring it as some sort of… peace offering, I guess."

"Do you blame him for it?"

"For his psychopath ex-girlfriend's desire to slit my throat? No. But him using me as a rebound and never really liking me… yeah, I blame him for that. And _that's_ why I needed the time in the first place. He only said that two weeks ago; I still needed my time."

"I still can't believe that you believe him about that."

I sighed. "Honestly, I don't really. He's one thing, but everything else pointed to something different. And my gut won't let me believe him… although I do think it would be easier."

"He loves you, you know," she told me sincerely. "He may be an idiot at times, but he loves you."

I smiled a little bit. "I like to think you're right… but enough about Edward. We need to start thinking about my prom dress." Carly grinned and so did I. But then I felt a little bothered. "You know I actually had to ask him if he was screwing with me?"

Carly's smile dropped. "Why?"

I shrugged. "I know, I know… I shouldn't have had to ask him that. But Edward had been screwing with me, and so had James. It was just an instinctive thing, I guess…"

"I guess I can see why you felt the need… but that's what sucks about it."

After that, I decided that was enough talk about Edward… and Tyler, for that matter. So I shut up about them and drove Carly home.

When I came in, I got on Facebook and my chat immediately popped up. It was Mrs. Hilton, my second grade teacher, who had retired two years after I'd had her. She literally was the best teacher I'd ever had, and I learned a lot from her.

_H: "Hello, Isabella"_

_B: "Hi, Mrs. Hilton. Long time, no see."_

_H: "I hear you! How have you been?"_

I contemplated telling her everything. I mean, she knew Edward. She was right there through our second grade boyfriend/girlfriend phase. Not only would she understand, but she would also not be surprised. I mean, after ten years… how could this not be expected? So I went for it.

_B: "Well… I'm having an interesting junior year. I ended up in math class with Edward this year. I'm sure you remember Edward Cullen."_

_H: "Oh, yes… I remember Mr. Edward Cullen. And also remember that you two were quite an item when you were in my class."_

I smiled to myself at the memory.

_B: "So I'm reminded. And that reputation is haunting us, I'm afraid."_

_H: "Somehow I'm not surprised. I remember when that boy saved you from falling off the slide, and you rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek. I don't think anyone in that class will forget it."_

_B: "Haha they haven't. I'm sure of it."_

_H: "So I assume that you and Edward have maintained some sort of… relationship?"_

_B: "We're friends, but… it's complicated."_

_H: "I'm sure it is. You and Edward have known each other for ten years. You have a connection on which to base your friendship. But I sense that you both feel something… more for each other?"_

_B: "We… used to. But we hit a rough patch, and we just don't talk about it anymore. We've managed to move past it and remain friends, but there's still that part of our friendship that just won't be the same. It'll never be strong again."_

_H: "I don't believe that. You guys don't give yourselves enough credit. There were things I noticed when you guys were running around as seven-year-olds that I hadn't seen in any of the others. And to put it bluntly, I'm not surprised that you guys are where you are right now."_

What Mrs. Hilton was saying made sense. And it felt right when I thought about it. But there was still that day… that day when he said the most hurtful thing he ever could have.

_You were a rebound, and I never liked you that way._

The sentence echoed in my head like a bad dream. That was our rough patch. I knew I shouldn't care; I should be focusing on Tyler. And even if I didn't focus on Tyler, I should focus on Prom. There were things I needed to think about: a dress, first and foremost, a boutonniere, shoes, jewelry, my hair… the list could go on and on. But Edward consumed my thoughts, as always.

And that needed to change.


	2. Changes

I rolled out of bed the next morning the way a prisoner would on the day their death sentence was to be carried out. That's how I felt. The bruises on my face were healing okay, and I was feeling a lot better than I had a week prior, so the day seemed to appear tolerable. Besides, I needed to see Edward.

So when I walked into Forensics, it didn't surprise me to find Edward sitting next to my desk, waiting for me. I sat down next to him and smiled a little. He carefully reached out and stroked my face over one of the bruises on my right cheek.

"How are they?" he asked.

I shrugged, folding my hands in my lap. "Can't complain. It could've been a lot worse."

Then gradually, the gentle stroke of his fingers on my cheek slowed until his hand came to a stop, and he was holding my face in his hand.

After a moment, I slowly pulled my face out of his hand and turned to the front of the room. But Edward continued to eye me for a long time.

"Bella," he said quietly, "do you hate me?"

I looked him in the eye. He could either be talking about hating him for Lauren or for the awful things he said to me the week before spring break. I was more inclined to believe his motives pointed towards the latter. Either way, my answer would be the same. "No, Edward. I don't hate you." I smiled tenderly at him. "I never could."

"You know," he said, leaning forward, "I keep thinking about second grade… and I truly don't remember us ever breaking up."

I gave him a sarcastic look. "Do you _really_ wanna go there?"

He casually leaned back and grinned. "Okay, okay. I surrender. What's new this spring break?"

I turned to him and smiled. "I got asked to Prom last night."

He smiled automatically. "That's great! Have you found a dress yet?"

I took his Android out of his pocket and found it online. I turned it back to him and pointed to my dress. It was a lime green spaghetti-strap with a gathered bodice embroidered with dark green beads. Edward raised an eyebrow. "That's hot. You'll look great on prom night; I know it."

I gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

"But your date just asked you?"

"Yeah, last night. I've had this dress picked out since I'd planned to go alone."

"How do you plan to get it before this weekend?"

"I'm driving up to Seattle to pick it up tomorrow."

Edward nodded. Then he reached under the desk and pulled my legs onto his. I felt something perilous underway at that moment. I knew in the back of my mind that everything I had built up was about to be destroyed.

I just didn't know when.


	3. Prom

"Mom, you're pulling my hair!" I shrieked as Renee yanked at another lock of my hair and reeled it into the curling iron.

"I'm sorry, baby, but your hair is just-"

But her thought was cut off by the phone ringing. She uncurled my hair and set down the curler before answering the phone. I glanced at Alice as we both listened in.

"Hello?" Renee answered. "Yes… okay, then I guess we'll see you both in a little bit… okay, bye!"

My blood began to boil, and Renee hung up.

"That was Mrs. Crowley. They'll be here in about twenty minutes."

My eyebrows shot up. "_They_? He's bringing his _mother_ here?"

"It would certainly seem so…"

"UGH!" I screamed, kicking my legs up in the air like a two-year-old and sending my new shoes flying off my feet like bombs. "PROM IS RUINED! THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL THAT I AM GOING THROUGH WITH THIS! I DON'T WANT A CHAPERONE OR A CHAUFFEUR! _ESPECIALLY _TYLER'S _MOTHER_!" I had been tense all evening. But the moment I found out that I would be riding in the backseat with my date while his mother drove… well, I had officially gone off the deep end. "DAMN IT! I MEAN, WE BOTH HAVE CARS AND LICENSES THAT ALLOW US TO DRIVE OTHER PEOPLE; I'VE HAD MINE FOR TEN MONTHS AND HE'S HAD HIS FOR OVER A YEAR!" Then tears started to threaten to spill and I started to stamp my feet out of frustration. I was not cut out for this. Dating had been hard enough on me as it was, given my stellar record with guys, but this was turning out to be too much. "I think I'm gonna vomit…"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice quietly sneak out the door and sprint to her car, obviously to save her own ass. I was on a war path and everyone knew it. I stomped to the nearest mirror and saw my red and splotchy chest. This was probably the highest my blood pressure had ever been… and that was definitely saying something, considering my complicated friendship with Edward.

And then I began to cry.

It wasn't like it was that time of the month or anything; I was just stressed. This was the first time anything like this had ever happened to me. Tyler had been the perfect date so far, what with being very time-efficient about asking about my preferences for my corsage and the color of my dress, etc. And contrary to all of the other dates in the group I was going with, Tyler never did any of the preparations over the phone. It was all in person, and he was a perfect gentleman. It also stressed me out that he was the cutest guy out of all the choices me and the other girls had, and he wanted to go with _me_… for whatever reason. I still wasn't convinced that the only reason he asked me was because he lost a bet or something. But it still made me want to heave, the thought of us going out to night… even with a whole group of people.

So when Renee yelled, "They're coming up the driveway!" I nearly threw up right there. I ran into my mother's bedroom and locked myself in.

"I'M BAILING RIGHT NOW!" I screamed. "THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL THAT I'M GOING TO PROM WITH TYLER TONIGHT! SEND HIM HOME!" Then I started dry-heaving over Renee's toilet and perspiration started to bead at my hair line. I took a tissue and dabbed it away as all the color began to drain from my face, and I felt the urge to cry again.

But the moment Renee opened the front door and heard her greet them, it was like a wave of calm came over me. It was the most wonderful- yet, scary- feeling I'd had all day. So I looked up once more and was surprised to see that all the color (as little as there was naturally) had returned to my face.

I opened the door to my mother's bedroom and stepped out into the hallway. I took a calm breath and walked gracefully into the living room. The moment Tyler came into my view, I smiled without even realizing it. He looked amazing. Without saying anything, I went straight to the refrigerator and retrieved his boutonniere. With shaking hands, I removed it from its box and pinned it on his tux, which was black and… perfect. Under it, he wore a black vest with a green tie to match my dress.

After pinning on his flower without managing to stab him to death, he retrieved my corsage from its box and slowly put it on my wrist. As he did so, I noticed just how much _his_ hands were shaking.

Our moms took a few pictures, which wouldn't have been so awkward if they hadn't constantly made comments like, "Don't they make such a cute couple?" or "Tyler, smile with your teeth, not with your tongue!"

Then after one final picture by the car, Tyler opened the door for me and I got in. Then he went around and got in beside me. When his mother exited my street and we were on our way to Alice's house for the pre-Prom party, Tyler turned to me and said his first words to me all evening.

"You're beautiful," he whispered.

I looked at him and beamed. "You look awesome too."

Then shortly after that, the entire car went silent… except for the occasional direction from the GPS. I wanted to speak up, since I knew where Alice lived like I knew the back of my hand, but the GPS was the only sound in the car that sounded alive, other than the pimped out version of Adele's _Rolling in the Deep_ playing in the background. It was the most awkward car ride of my life. The whole time, I just kept my hands in my lap, twiddling my thumbs occasionally and watching Tyler sweat out of my peripheral vision.

When we pulled up at Alice's, Mrs. Crowley disappeared and Tyler and I were finally free to be social. We walked together around to the backyard where only Alice and Jasper were present. Mrs. Brandon already had her photo studio set up and ready to shoot. Alice and I hugged and ogled over each other's dresses for a few moments before moving into the basement.

"Oh, Bella, Tyler, you're here!" Mrs. Brandon shrieked as she grabbed our wrists and pulled us into the spotlight of her camera. The first thing she did was hand us both plastic, inflatable swords and yelled, "Spar!"

But that was nothing. It didn't get exciting until Mrs. Brandon pulled out her props and positioned them. The next words out of her mouth were, "Tyler, straddle the board." I whipped my head around to see Mrs. Brandon position Tyler like so, and then proceed to direct me to the end of the board and tell me to sidesaddle it. To make it even more exciting, she told Tyler to scoot forward more, closer to me. _Yes_, I thought. _We need his crotch as close to me as possible._ Then we did a few normal poses before going outside to find that a few more people in our group had arrived.

Then we were dragged into the woods for some outdoor shots, during which I was asked questions like, "Bella, would you be comfortable with Tyler holding your hands?" and "Bella, are you okay with Tyler standing behind you and putting his arms around your waist and you putting your hands over his?"

The real fun didn't start until we got prom.

Our first dance came too soon, and as he took me out to the dance floor, his hands weren't shaking any less than they had when he put the corsage on my wrist. Neither of us knew the song and we never made eye contact. That was a problem I'd always had at dances, especially when I was dancing with a guy that I liked. And it kind of made me smile to myself to know that I was having the same effect on him as he was having on me.

The same could be said about our second dance. And our third. Then by ten o' clock, we finally started to really let loose. Our group met outside at the pavilion and we all sat around, making fun of a few of our group members that didn't bother to show up, namely a girl named Bree who always made it her God-given role in life to convince the whole world that she had balance problems… among other issues. I would mimic something stupid she would say, and Tyler, who was always right beside me, would complement it by re-enacting her so-called balance problems. Naturally, that would launch us into the story of how Bree once tripped down the stairs at school with me right behind her, and everyone was convinced that _I_ pushed her.

Then on our way back into the party, Tyler offered me his arm and we ran into Prom together, acting like total children. It was the most fun I'd ever had.

Five minutes 'til midnight, they played the song for the final slow dance. This one, we actually _did_ know. It was _Mine_ by Taylor Swift.

When Tyler pulled me out onto the dance floor for the last time, we were both messes. He had shed his coat and he was pretty sweaty. I was equally sweaty, my curls had fallen out, and so had the locks that had been pulled back with barrettes, my bracelet had snagged the netting on my dress, my make-up had worn off, my feet were blistered, and my nail polish was chipped.

Yet there we were, slow-dancing for the last time. So as I turned my head to avoid eye contact from the other side, I caught Tyler looking right at me towards the end of the song. So I looked back at him. And I was taken aback. He was _glowing_. And he wore a million-dollar smile, a smile that was… indescribable. It caused a swelling in my heart to see him smile like that. And something told me that no one else in this world had ever seen him smile like that. And no one would for a very long time. This was something special.

"What?" I asked, not being able to help smiling back.

"I'm just… having _so_ much fun. I'm having _such_ a good time." The look in his eyes… defied all description.

I smiled at him, unable to keep myself from looking the same way. "Me too."

Then we put our heads on each other's shoulders and finished out the dance that way. It was the highest point of our night.

Then when his mother met us at the Thriftway parking lot and drove me home, Tyler came around once more and opened the door for me. Not knowing if he was going to follow me to the door (since it was already one in the morning), I just started walking. Then I heard Tyler behind me.

"Hug?"

I turned around to see him standing by the car with his arms open. I smiled and entered them, letting my chin fall on his shoulder. The hug lasted a long time, and that only made this feeling stronger. Then he let me go and I went inside, closing the door silently behind me. Then surprisingly, I found myself standing behind the door with my hands to my forehead with the biggest pre-teenish grin on my face.

I rushed upstairs and flopped onto my bed. I kicked off my shoes and turned on my iPod and just laid there. That night, I fell asleep in my prom dress, dreaming of the best night of my life… which had only ended moments before.


	4. Resurrection

First thing on Monday morning, I rushed into Forensics looking like crap. I was wearing sweats, a T-shirt, tennis shoes, and my hair was in the same ponytail it had been before I went to bed the night before. Yikes. So I wasn't surprised when Edward was there waiting for me, like he'd been every day since… well, ya know… and a puzzled and dumbfounded expression crossed his face. It wasn't too different than usual, but the sight of me had never brought it out before.

I plopped down in my seat and faced Edward. I'm sure that the fact that I wasn't wearing make-up had occurred to him.

"Damn, dear. What's wrong with you? It looks to me like your blood pressure's through the roof." He nodded towards my chest.

I looked down and, sure enough, the red splotches were there. I looked back up at him desperately. "I have a problem," I said.

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Not funny, Cullen."

"Okay, okay," he said, pulling my legs onto his lap in attempt to get me to relax. "What's going on?"

"Okay, well, as you know, I went to prom Saturday night…"

"Okay?"

"Well… the first thing you need to know is that I went with Tyler Crowley-"

"Yeah, I know. I saw the pictures."

Damn. Renee must have posted them on Facebook right after I left and tagged me in every single one. It hadn't even occurred to me to check. But I pushed that thought aside, as well as the new one that grew when I realized the slight edginess in Edward's voice when he said that.

"Well… I think I've lost about fifteen pounds in the last forty-eight hours because I can't eat or sleep or… anything anymore."

"Why not?"

"Tyler… I think… I think I like him. I mean… _really_ like him."

Edward just stared at me.

"Is that crazy?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "Well, tell me about prom. What went down Saturday night?"

Then I proceeded to tell him everything about prom night. Every look, every feeling I had, every movement. I didn't spare him a single detail. Because after all, he was my best friend. And for the first time in our entire rollercoaster of a friendship, I finally felt at ease with where we stood with each other. By the end, I was shaking, most likely out of hunger rather than nerves… though my nerves were shot. "I kinda feel like throwing up…"

Edward sighed. "Well, don't do that."

"I'm not sure I can help it. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

He ran his hand through his hair again. "Well, it sounds to me like the guy likes you… a lot. And I know him, and I know he's a… good guy. So I say… go for it."

I was so wrapped up in thoughts of Tyler that it barely crossed my mind the tense and rigid tone in Edward's voice. And as we walked into science hallway for second period, Edward hugged me for the first time since… yeah.

The rest of the week seemed to fly, seeing as it was the final full week of school. The next day, Edward and I almost got written up for PDA in the hallway because Edward thought it would be a good idea to hug me goodbye… and not let go as he lifted me off the ground, spun me around, and started to make off with me on his way to class. Then again the next day when we had a substitute in Forensics that wasn't used to mine and Edward's habitual way of sitting. His exact words had been, "Save that behavior for after school and between classes! This isn't a bar!" Yes, let the rumors fly…

But the most unforgettable day was Thursday, May 19, my last day Forensics. Since I was exempt from the final exam the next Monday, I wouldn't be showing up to class ever again. The same went for the rest. Technically, it was my last day of school, but I would be attending the award ceremony the next day during the last two hours of school.

Edward and I were sitting at our group of four desks, with his rolling chair by my side as always. Three other boys sat at the group of desks, but we barely spoke to any of them.

We sat there quietly, listening to Edward's iPod with a pair of my headphones like we always did. It was just another day.

"So are you gonna help me use up the rest of the film on my disposable camera?"

"Of course."

I pulled out my disposable camera and quickly snapped a shot of Edward without warning. He grabbed my thigh and squeezed hard in retaliation as he pulled my legs onto his once again. I laughed and smacked his hand as he snatched the camera from my own. Then he took a few "glamour" shots of me. I took my legs off of his and set my feet flat on the floor, my legs falling between his.

"What are you guys doing?" Nick asked, one of the guys at our group,

"Taking pictures," Edward said, and he started casually rubbing his hands up and down my outer thighs as I toyed with winding the camera.

During my troubles with the camera, he saw this as an opportunity to whip out my pen from my purse and attack my arm with smiley-faces.

"Hey!" I said, quickly unbuttoning the rolled up sleeve on my button-down over-shirt to keep him from marking me further.

"Whoa, that is so cheap!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah," I agreed. "I should've thought of that a long-ass time ago."

He smirked mischievously before grabbing me around the waist and pulling me out of my seat and onto his lap, like he did every once in awhile. He kept the pen pointed towards me, threatening to mark me within an inch of my life. But I could tell he wasn't using all of his strength, which made me laugh.

"You're not even trying!" I said through my laughter.

He raised his eyebrows, though it looked like they lowered since I was looking at his face upside down. "Oh? You want me to try?"

Then he attacked me with the pen, leaving a nice big smiley-face on my forehead.

"That's not fair!" I shrieked. "We agreed a long time ago that if there was gonna be smiley-faces on anyone's forehead, we would do it together!"

He rolled his eyes. "Then do your worst."

He released me from his death grip, and I spun around to draw my smiley-face on his forehead. When I finished, I smiled at him. And my latest work of art. That's when I noticed this sharp look in his eyes. I had seen it so many times before, but this time… it was far more intense. It made my blood pressure rise and my chest to splotch a little. The butterflies began to beat their wings from deep inside me, but I suppressed all of that. There was something going on inside his head right at that moment.

"What is it?" I asked quietly.

He looked down as he took my legs between his hands and started rubbing up and down again. "I just need you to know one thing…"

"Okay?"

"That thing that I said to you six weeks ago… that one thing that made everything so… complicated…" He ran his fingers through his hair once more and sighed. "When I told you that you were a rebound from Lauren and that I never liked you that way… I lied."

I couldn't believe it. He had finally said the words that I'd only dreamed of him saying. But something occurred to me at that moment. What had come into light was a truth that had been there all along.

I gave him a small smile. "I know," I said quietly.

And that was the truth. I had known that all along. But here we were. And he was telling me.

He returned the small smile. "So you don't hate me?"

I laughed softly and punched his arm lightly. "No, you idiot. Haven't you figured that out already?" I asked him as I tried to roll the sleeves back up on my over-shirt.

"You said you didn't, but I couldn't tell if you were just trying to make me feel better or not," he said as lightly pushed my hands away and rolled up my sleeves and buttoned them back up for me.

I sat up a little straighter and leaned into him a little further. "I meant every word I said. But I'll be honest with you. What killed me the most was that you just stood there and watched me try so hard not to cry, all the while knowing that what you were saying wasn't true. It _killed_ me."

I could see the true and honest pain flicker across his eyes like tears. "I should've told you," he whispered, placing a hand on my thigh. "I wish I'd told you that day…"

"I've known all along, Edward. It's done. We're okay."

A small smile played on his lips as he looked up at me. Then we went back to our teasing and playing. When he grabbed me from behind again and pulled me into his lap, we both caught a glimpse of a girl named Julie Harren, who had been one of the ones that thought Edward and I were a "thing" all year. As if we were brain-mailing each other, Edward called out to Julie. She turned around.

"Do you think we're going out?" he asked her as he pulled me back closer against his chest.

"Yes," she said definitely.

He grinned. "Well, we're not," he said teasingly.

Then Julie looked at me. "Bella, we will have words."

I grinned back at her and pulled myself out of Edward's grip. "Oh! I also need to tell you about prom!"

"Yes!" she squealed. "I saw the pictures of you and Tyler, and I want to hear all about it!"

"And you will," I told her, cocking an eyebrow before turning my attention back to Edward. "See all the commotion you cause? That right there is what everyone's been thinking about us all damn year."

"And that's a bad thing?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at me.

"When it's not true, yes," I retorted.

He paused for a few seconds. "You know what I just noticed?"

"What?" I asked.

"Just how close you are to me right now."

I took a look at the space between us, or better yet, the lack there of. We were touching, we were so close. And my blood pressure was starting to rise even more. I scoffed at him and scooted over in my seat, putting some actual air between us.

"Oh, don't do that," he said.

"Yeah, and why not?" I demanded, raising an eyebrow.

"'Cause then I couldn't do this…" Then before I had a chance to say or do or think anything, he had grabbed my chin and he was kissing me.

Total shock coursed through my body in that first moment, leaving my eyes wide open. But before I could do a damn thing about it, the kiss had resurrected the remnants of old feelings for Edward that I had let fade over the past six weeks, and my eyes fell closed as I responded. And those seconds turned into an eternity as I let the sudden darkness of Edward swallow me whole.


	5. Desire

We only kissed for three seconds before I pulled away. I quickly looked around to see if anyone had seen. No one seemed to be staring, and Miss Turner was buried in her grade book. Edward didn't even bother looking around before pulling me back in for another mini-make-out session in the middle of class. I didn't let this one last any longer than the one before. The only thing stopping me from going insane on him was the fact that we were sitting here… in the middle of class… kissing… in front of everybody.

Before he could pull me in again, I took his hands off my hips and moved them to his sides. He seemed to take the hint, and just kept close to me without kissing me for the rest of class.

"Damn, I think your blood pressure spiked, dear."

We both looked down at my chest. It was worse than it had ever been. EVER. But I looked up to see him smiling, and I smiled too. And when the bell rang, we walked out of the classroom together for the very last time, hand in hand. We took the same old route to second period, stopping once in the parking lot to kiss once. I pulled away and left him standing there until he gained back his composure and followed me. Then as we stood in our usual spot in the science building, where we always parted ways, he pulled me into him and kissed me again… and again… and again. We could've easily been spotted and written up for making out in the middle of the hallway, but we didn't care.

And when I walked away from him for the last time down that hallway, I felt lots of things. I felt joy, excitement, confusion. I felt like I was getting everything I'd ever wanted, but at the same time, I felt empty and cold. I felt like something was terribly wrong, like I had just been robbed of something… but all of those feelings mixed together just made me numb.

And when I made my lifeless walk out to my car, I got inside and sat there in my stifling car, not even bothering to crank it up or anything. I just sat there, letting myself soak in my own sweat while waiting for Carly to get there. When she opened the door, she was already all over my ass.

"Okay, you wanna tell me what the hell I saw in the science building before second period?"

I looked at her. "You saw?" I asked, my throat dry.

"Hell-fucking-yes, I did! What the… FUCK?"

"We kissed…"

"Yeah, no shit. I pretty much got that part. But… why? I mean… what happened to bring that on?"

So I told her. I spilled everything.

When I was done, she gaped at me.

And when I got home, I walked through the door to find Renee in the kitchen washing dishes. She looked up with a smile already on her face, but it faltered when she saw me.

"Honey? Are you alright?"

"Why do I always do the stupid thing? WHY DO I ALWAYS DO THE STUPID THING?"

"Bella, what do you mean?"

"I think I did something really- no, I _know_ I did something really stupid!"

"Baby, what did you do?"

I looked at her with a sort of fear in my eyes. "Edward and I… kissed today."

Her eyes grew wide. "_What_?"

I didn't say it again because I knew she heard me. But I didn't expect her to turn away from me. I said her name several times, but she never looked up at me. My mother really couldn't look at me.

"Mom! Look at me, _please_!"

And when she finally turned around and faced me, she had tears brimming her eyes. "What if Tyler finds out?" Then she began to cry.

And that's when I realized what had been bothering me this whole time about the kiss. Tyler. _Tyler_.

My eyes widened in horror and my mouth fell open. I covered my mouth and sank to the floor as I began to sob. "Tyler…"

Renee didn't stop crying, but she dropped to the floor in front of me and wrapped her arms around me. Hers was the worst reaction I received that day. When Charlie came home, he yelled at me, Alice slapped me, Angela beat me senseless with a pillow, and Eric said, "Wow. There's a new low."

But by the next day, it was like all those feelings of doubt and despair were replaced with surges of desire and lust. I shoved Tyler to the back of my mind and left him there. I let my entire self succumb to the dangerous place my heart and mind were in. Little did I know, this was only the beginning…


	6. Danger

I pulled up at the school at three o'clock, just as the award ceremony was beginning. I made the trek to the gymnasium where all the other juniors were gathered in one section of the bleachers. I approached the assistant principal so that she could direct me where to sit. As I waited for her attention, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out. It was Edward.

_I see you_, it read.

I didn't make any conspicuous movements, but I put my phone back in my pocket and scanned the room with my eyes only. I didn't expect to be able to find Edward in the crowd, so I just took my place with the other invitees for the ceremony when Ms. Cope directed. I looked directly ahead to where Edward would be.

It took me a shamefully long time to find him. It wasn't until Tyler went up to get his award for outstanding achievement in Calculus that I had an idea of where to look. Since Edward and Tyler were in the same homeroom, and Tyler wasn't sitting with the invitees, it was easy to spot Edward nearby him. When I caught his eye, he was smirking at me sexily.

I grinned and beamed as Tyler received his award, and I applauded louder than anyone, secretly hoping that it would make Edward stir to see me do so. It was less about making him jealous and more about making him get the hint that Tyler came first. Edward wasn't my ultimate goal. He never had been. And in the back of my mind, I knew I was better off without him in my life. But he was. He was a constant in my life that might not ever go away.

But after the ceremony was over and the juniors had been released fifteen minutes early from school by our principal, Edward immediately jumped off the bleachers and made a beeline for me. I looked around, panicked and worried that Tyler would see. But when I saw him exit, I looked at Edward, who was at my feet. I didn't smile. I just looked at him the way I always did. I pulled my backpack over my shoulder and stepped down the bleachers. Then we walked out of the gymnasium together.

"Wanna drive me home?" he asked when we got outside.

"Where the hell's your car?"

"Wrecked it when I snuck out the other night. I've been mooching rides off people ever since."

"You're an idiot," I said. "Fine. I'll drive you. But we have to wait for the bell to ring. I have to drive Carly home first."

He groaned. "Why? I mean, Carly's cool and shit, but I want you all to myself," he said as he slipped an arm around my waist.

I smirked. "Don't worry. She doesn't live far. And then I'm all yours."

So we stood there in the hallway of the Forensics building waiting for Carly to be let out. I tried to keep myself under control as we talked, all the while Edward trying to get me to kiss him. But I couldn't. Not in front of Carly, an impressionable teenager who held a slight resentful grudge against us both for what had happened the day before. But I let him keep his arms snaked around my waist. And when the bell rang, Carly came bounding down the stairs to find Edward trying to sweet-talk me into kissing him.

I caught her eye as she spotted us. She looked ready to throw something. And without any words, she grabbed me by the arm and dragged me into the nearest bathroom.

"Carly, what the hell are you doing?"

She pushed me against the wall by my shoulders. "Isabella Swan, what the fuck is going through your head? Really. I want to know."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "It's just Edward, Carly. I'm completely safe with him."

"Really? You're telling me you're safe with reckless, complicated Edward? You're nuts. And not the good kind!"

I put my hands on both sides of her face as I pushed her back out of the bathroom. "Babe, I promise you, nothing bad is going to happen to me while I'm with him."

"You swear?" she asked desperately, her eyes suddenly growing big and vulnerable.

I put my forehead against hers. "I swear. He'll take care of me. And at the very least, I can take care of myself."

Then we both turned to Edward, who stared at us like we were crazy. "Dare I ask what you were talking about in there?"

"Periods," I told him simply.

"Glad I asked," he said as he followed us out to the Mustang. We shoved him in the backseat and Carly got shotgun. As we rode down to her house, I was shocked at how easily they got along. So much better than that time when I drove Mike Newton home. They fought each other tooth and nail the whole damn time.

After we dropped Carly off, Edward hopped into the front seat, and we headed for his house. As I was turning onto his street, I caught sight of my gas gauge. It was below empty. I was running on fumes. Then I started panicking.

"Oh my God!" I screamed.

"What? What is it?"

"I'm completely out of gas!"

"Well, there's a gas station right up the road. I think you'll make it back."

I pulled up in front of his house and threw the car into park. "But what if I don't? This is karma, Edward! This is what I get for doing something I'm not supposed to be doing and with someone I'm _definitely_ not supposed to be doing it with. If I run out of gas here, my dad will have to come find me and he'll see where I am and he'll kill me! What if-!"

But my thought was cut off at the knees as Edward grabbed my face and pulled me into a deep kiss. The kind that we'd been going for the past two days, but PDA set its own boundaries. After a few seconds of making out, I pulled away and started my car again. He got out and shut the door, but before he walked away, he leaned over my open sunroof.

"If you don't make it to the gas station, just call me and I'll come and help you. I'll even help you push this thing all the way there if that's what it takes."

I smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded once before stepping back and letting me go.

I made it to the gas station, but not before Edward called to check up on me. Then we made plans for me to pick him up from school on Monday. Carly and I were lucky enough not to have to go since we were exempt from all finals, but Edward didn't get that lucky. So when I went to pick him up from school, it was just me and him from the start.

I was dressed in shorts and a tank top with my brown plaid over-shirt. My hair was down and straightened, and I'd gone light on make-up. When the bell rang, he emerged from the building and climbed into the Stang. When I pulled out, he finally spoke.

"So this is crazy, I know…"

"What is?"

"This." He gestured between us.

I nodded violently. "I agree completely." That was an understatement. And a BIG one.

"But I don't care." He stroked my arm as I drove.

"Hmm… and what makes me so damn special? Why now?"

"You're kinda cute."

I snorted. "Oh, wow. Chill with the deep stuff, man. I can't take it." I turned to him. "How tempted are you right now? On a scale of one to ten?"

He shrugged. "About a seven. Maybe eight."

I shook my head. "Not good enough."

"What do you want me to say? You're an attractive girl with a really nice rack. That just makes me sound like an asshole."

"You're an asshole anyway. But if you try to tell me that that's all you're in this for, well, then you're a liar too."

He stared at me. "Well, what about me? What do you find so damn irresistible?"

I laughed out loud. "Irresistible? You're kidding, right?"

"No. What do you like about me?"

Great. He had thrown my own million-dollar question back in my face. And as I could see him picking my brains for a specific answer through his eyes, it occurred to me that we were looking for the same answer. But I refused to be the first to give in.

I averted eye contact as I racked my brains for the best bullshit answer I could come up with. "Well… I'm sure you know what you're doing, so you could definitely show me a good time. And you don't look half-bad in uniform…"

He smirked at me. "Well, it sounds to me like you have a bit of a crush."

I was so shocked that he would even go there that my cheeks didn't have time to gain their crimson shade. "Like hell, you big… crap-faced sack of crap!"

Edward raised an eyebrow. "I think you do."

"No, I think _you_ do! And not only that, but I think it runs _far_ deeper than just a crush, you tosspot! This has been going on for months, and if you want a straight answer about the matter from me, then you first!"

"Nah… ladies first."

"No chance in hell. You started this whole thing, and all it's done is snowball ever since. In two days, summer vacation will begin… and I will be but a memory for you. So if there's something either of us needs to know, now is the time to say it. But I'm not opening my mouth until I have a reason."

At that moment, I pulled up in front of his house. I threw the Stang into park and turned to Edward to find him looking at me intently.

"Okay," he said finally, "if I'm honest with you, you'll be honest with me?"

"Cross my heart," I promised, crossing my heart.

He let out a breath. "Okay. I like you. You know that." I nodded. "And you're right. It's more than that. It always has been."

I nodded in understanding. "I know," I whispered. "It's always been the same for me."

He gave a small smile. "So now we both know."

"I guess so…"

Then he glanced at me mischievously. "Back up."

"What?"

"Back up two houses."

I threw the car into reverse and backed up like he said. "Okay…?"

"Now come with me."

I turned the car off and pocketed my keys before getting out and following Edward. "Edward, where are we going?"

"Just follow me."

So I followed him back behind a house with a "For Sale" sign staked in the front lawn and a fence separating it and the woods. He led me around the back to a window, which he opened.

"Are you for real right now?" I asked him.

He grinned and nodded, gesturing me to go in first.

So I went up to the open window and bent over, peering inside. The whole place was empty, like new. It had been previously lived in, but it was as spotless as any other house I had seen whenever my mom went house-hunting when I was little. I looked at Edward once before climbing through. I immediately began looking around while Edward came through behind me. It was small, but really nice. The window led straight into the dining area. On the right was the kitchen and laundry room. As I walked further there was a living room straight ahead and a small hallway to my left. In the hallway, there were two bedrooms facing each other and a bathroom between them.

I turned back to Edward and grinned. "This place is amazing! How did you manage to get in here?"

He shrugged. "The window's always been unlocked. But they deadbolt the front door, so we couldn't come in that way."

"I love it," I said as I approached him, trying to calm my breathing. I knew this was a dangerous place for me to be; in an abandoned house with a guy that couldn't get enough of me and who I couldn't get enough of. Not to mention that it didn't take a genius to figure out that I was definitely not the first girl he had ever brought here. I could only imagine how many girls he had boinked in this very house.

I was asking for trouble.


	7. Submission

"Are you okay?" Edward asked me quietly as he rubbed up and down my arms.

I looked up at him and smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He let out a breath. "Well, here she is. At last. Now the question is, how far is she willing to go?" he asked as he lifted up the hem of my tank top.

"I'll let you know if you go too far. Just… don't go for my shorts. Nothing below the waist," I breathed as he lifted my shirt up under my breasts and stroked my stomach with the back of his finger. I chill ran down my spine and my eyes fluttered shut at his touch. I opened them again to see him looking down at me with a look of desire in his eyes.

My breath caught in my throat as he lifted my tank top up further, over my breasts, and brought his mouth to my neck. My spot. As he kissed me, my eyes rolled back and fluttered shut again, and I suppressed a moan. He reached around my waist and ran his hands up and down my back, exploring me as he kissed me. Then he brought his mouth to mine. After a few seconds, I pulled away to catch my breath. But I pulled away from him and stepped back, pulling my tank top down.

"What's wrong?" he asked me quietly, stepping forward and laying his hands on my hips.

"You're gonna have to fix me. Before I spaz out and jump out a window."

He chuckled and brought his lips to mine once. "You're right," he said. And then he reached down and picked me up bridal-style. "The rest can be taken care of in the bedroom." And just like my own Prince Charming, he carried me into the bedroom. There was no bed or any other furniture, so he just set me on my feet in the middle of the room. Then as he kissed me, over and over, he pushed me backwards until he had me against the wall. He began kissing me fiercely, hungrily.

Then all hell broke loose and he picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he stood there, holding me as we kissed passionately. Over time, I could feel him quivering beneath me, his strength beginning to falter.

"Floor," I said against his lips, and we hit the floor. He laid me down gently and then laid down next to me, keeping his forearm under my neck as he trailed kisses from my mouth down to my neck, over to my collarbone, and back again. He reached his hands under me and I lifted slightly to give him room to trail under my tank top for my bra clasp. He unhooked it and let his hands travel under it and over my breasts.

Within seconds, I lost my patience and sat up to take off my over-shirt and my bra, leaving my tank top on. I piled my discarded clothing under the window and laid back down with Edward. Our kissing progressed.

Then he pulled me on top of him and caressed my back under my tank top as we kissed. I heard him groan under my lips, and I pulled up.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Wouldn't you be more comfortable taking that off?" He nodded at my tank top.

I looked down at it. "Why would I?"

"Just easier for me to… you know."

I smirked for a moment and thought about it. He would be the first I had ever done that for. I hadn't even let Jake get this far. But there was something between me and Edward that hadn't been there with Jacob. Edward knew me better than anyone. So I crossed my arms and pulled my tank top up and over my head, bearing all to my best friend. He stared at me, mouth slightly open, and I knew what he was thinking. I couldn't believe I had no shame in front of him. How could I be this comfortable? But I didn't question it. I just made him take off his own shirt and let him kiss me.

I could feel the slight facial hair on his upper lip as he kissed me hard. His hand slid down my side and he was soon lying on top of me. My legs were open and he was hard against me. If it hadn't been for my rule that our shorts stayed on, there would have been nothing stopping us. His pelvis thrust gently against mine as he moved back down to my neck and took my skin between his teeth and sucked just as gently. Soon, he started biting and sucking harder, sending me into a frenzy of intense pleasure that tugged behind my naval. My eyes rolled back again and I dug my nails into his back.

He started moving faster and harder, and I let out a small scream as my hand balled into a fist and drove itself straight into the wall not too far away from me.

Edward lifted his head and looked at me as my chest rose and fell dramatically. "Damn, Bella. It sounds like you're having an orgasm."

"No. It just feels… _really_ good."

He smirked at me. "You're gonna have to do better than that. You're so getting off on this, you don't know what to do."

"Just kiss me."

And he did… until he switched to the other side of my neck and repeated the treatment. This time, I screamed louder and nearly put a hole in the wall. When we heard a small crack, Edward chuckled against my neck and finally pulled up again. "Are you okay?"

"Of… course…" I panted.

Taking my word for it, he intertwined his fingers in mine and dipped down to trail kisses down my chest between my breasts all the way to the edge of my shorts, leaving a small hickey next to my belly-button. Before he had a chance to come back up, I sat up and he also rose with me. He sat back on his knees and my legs came down on either side of him, as if I had been straddling him… which, technically, I had. His fingertips grazed my calves as he pulled me in closer to him.

"What are you thinking?" he asked me quietly as he planted a soft kiss on my forehead.

"I'm thinking of how much trouble you're getting me into," I said. "What about you?"

"Well, I'm thinking about other things that I'd much rather be doing to you."

Yeah, I knew what he was talking about. Hell, I knew _exactly_ what he was talking about… but I let curiosity get the best of me. "You're gonna have to be more specific."

He bent down to gently kiss my neck, right over the hickey he'd left behind. Then he left another soft kiss on my bare shoulder. "I'd rather be fucking you right now."

I couldn't say I was surprised. Edward was the first and only guy to come into my life and be bluntly honest with me only at the times when he didn't need to be. And this was one of those times. If he thought for one second that him thrusting his erection into my clothed pelvis wasn't a big enough hint for me, he had another thing coming.

"You know you want it, Bella," he whispered into my ear.

I wasn't about to let him mind-drug me into sex, so I didn't let his voice have its usual effect on me. "Of course I want it, Edward. You don't have to convince me that I want it. But doing it would be stupid."

"I have a condom in my wallet," he offered.

I smiled and shook my head. "Sorry. You're gonna have to have one of the neighboring sluts help you take care of that tonight… or after I leave."

"You make me sound like some kind of pimp that can't hold a relationship, so I have to hire the girl next door."

I rolled my eyes and sighed in exasperation. "Your right hand doesn't count as a relationship, Edward."

"That's _hilarious_, dear."

"Well, I thought so." Then I leaned over and grabbed my phone. "Oh, shit. It's almost four-thirty. I have to go or my parents are gonna flip their lids."

He wrapped his arms around me and laid back down on the carpet, bringing me down on top of him. "No, you can't leave."

I laughed. "Edward, I have to! I'm not like you; I don't live three doors down."

"I'm not letting you go," he told me, tightening his hold on me.

I laughed again. "Edward, my father will put out a hit on you if I'm not home in the next fifteen minutes."

"Well, good. That's more than enough time to get home. And that includes the time it'll take for you to get your clothes back on." He grinned.

I rolled my eyes and he released me. But he stayed on the floor and watched me dress.

The first thing I did was put my bra on, though, for some reason, I kept my back to Edward as I did so. Then as I pulled my tank top back over my head, I heard the jingling of my car keys. I turned around to see Edward twirling my keys on his finger tauntingly. My eyes widened as he raced out of the bedroom. I chased after him while pulling my over-shirt back on.

"Edward, you faggot, give them back!"

But rather than follow him out the window, I went to the bathroom to check and make sure that the two giant hickeys Edward had left on either side of my neck would be hide-able. If it wasn't for my long hair, I'd be screwed. I noticed that my mascara had run ever-so-slightly, leaving a faint shadow under my eyes. And my skin was glowing with that I-just-almost-had-sex glow. I looked awful.

Then Edward appeared in the reflection with me, and he put an arm around my waist. "You look great. And the hickeys will go away, I promise."

"Damn it, Edward, it looks like a have tumors in my neck! You bit the fuck out of me!"

"Oh, come on. You can handle a little swelling. It's a good thing your hair's long, though."

"You don't say?"

Then he handed me my keys, a smile playing on his lips. He allowed me to go first out the window, but I, being my clumsy self, couldn't manage it without banging my knee on the sill. After a good ten seconds of cursing under my breath, I looked down to see a straight, horizontal cut across my knee. And it was starting to bleed.

Edward chuckled as he walked me back to my car. He got his ROTC bag out of my floorboard and rode on my hood, jumping off as I passed his house. And as I started to drive off, he flagged me down. I opened my window for him as I braked, but instead of saying anything, he kissed me once, long and good, and ran off.


End file.
